Process for forming casein masses.



FRANZ THOMAS, OF SCI-IMfiLLN, GERMANY.

PROCESS FOR FORMING CASEIN MASSES.

No Drawing.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANZ THOMAS, chemist, subject of the German Emperor, residing at 5 Amtsplatz, Schmolln, Duchy. of SaXoma-Altenburg, German Empire, have invented a new and useful Improvementin Processes for F ormingCasein Masses; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same.

This invention relates to a process for forming casein masses, that is to say for producing from a supply of the liquids that areto be dealt with, such as solutions or suspensions of alkali caseinates, solid pieces or articles of the requisite size.

The invention has for its object toproduce in the process of forming such solid pieces or articles certain desirable visual effects such as veining, graining, stratification designs, or the like, the process comprising a method of pouring or dropping portions of the liquid.

Heretofore it has not been found possible to produce figured or patterned articles of casein showing veins, graining or the like, by pouring. It was also quite impossible, by existing methods of producing colored masses of casein by pressing or rolling, to get the colors distributed in circles, a streaky effect being obtained. In imitating horn,

and particularly for making buttons, how

ever, it is specially important to be able to obtain the colors in rings, because the material then resembles the natural horn, or the like, more closely than the streaky colored effects heretofore obtainable.

I have discovered that figured varicolored casein masses can be produced by pouring variously colored or shaded solutions or suspensions of alkali caseinates on the surface of a solution of formaldehyde and an alkaline earth salt. A number of difierently colored streams of the alkali caseinates solutions may be poured into the precipitation bath at the same time without the streams becoming completely intermingled even when they enter the precipitation bath simultaneously. It might have been expected that complete admixture would ensue, accompanied by a uniform coloration devoid of figuring; but as a matter of fact this is not the case.

The method can be carried out in the fol lowing manner: In order to obtain annular figurlngs or graining, the various colored solutions of alkali caseinates are allowed to Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 9, 1915.

Application filed December 5, 1912. Serial No. 735,113.

enter the precipitation bath in varying succession. I may use a solution of 1 kilogram of precipitated casein in 3 liters of an aqueous solution of sodium hydroxid containing per liter 10 grams sodium hydroxid and cause the said solution to drop into a solution of 5 kilograms calcium 'chlorid in 100 liters Water mixed with 5 liters of 40 per cent. formaldehyde. Tothe solution of casein I may add according to the desired shade black colors for instance nigrosin or Chinese black, white colors, for instance chalk, gypsum, yellow colors for instance ocher, red colors for instance bole, etc. According to the rate at which the streams of different colors are used the rings are obtained of smaller or greater width. It might be expected that the second drop introduced, after the first one, into the bath, would simply envelop the first one, so that no figuring would subsequently be apparent in the slab or piece; as a fact however, the result is quite different, a hemispherical hollow being formed so that the further supply of material enters the cavity first produced. The various strata also diffuse to some extent, so that delicate veinings or graining effects, such as are otherwise found only in natural products, ensue.

An alternative method of producing figured designs by pouring consists in allowing the differently colored caseinates solutions to enter the precipitating liquid simultaneously instead of successively. The differently colored solutions of casein are led into a common terminal nozzle from which they can be directed simultaneously on to the same point of the precipitation bath and thus form the same center. The solutions can be maintained more or less separate by modifying their relative viscosity, thus producing either quite distinct or diffused ef-. v

fect's. I

I claim:

1. The process for the formation of spherical varicolored casein masses which consists in causing separate streams of variously colored or shaded solutions of alkali caseinate to fall freely vertically in the form of drops on to a common point within a liquid precipitation bath, consisting of a solution of alkaline earth salt.

2. The process for the formation of spherical varicolored casein masses which consists in causing separate streams of variously colored or shaded solutionsrof alkali caseinate having a different grade of viscosity to fall freelyvertically in the form of drops on to a common point within a liquid precipitation bath, consisting of a solution of alkaline 5 earth salt. 3. The process for the formation of spheri cal varicolored casein masses which consists in causing separate streams of variously colored or shaded solutions of alkali caseinate to fall freely vertically in the form of drops 10 on to a common point wi hin' a liquid bath of formaldehyde and alka ine earth salt.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FRANZ THOMAS. Witnesses:

CHARLES NEUER, M. MilLLER. 

